April is a busy month for my family. We have Easter and three birthdays to celebrate (and two more at the beginning of May). Easter means chocolate bunnies for the grandkids, a long-standing tradition that my grandmother did for me and I did for my sons. April’s birthdays are all adults, one on Easter Sunday. Adult birthdays mean spending time together, which is a great gift in itself. Also good gifts are this month’s new releases!
BEST COVER
Song of Belonging by Michelle St. Romain (1934/2019, Louisiana, April 21)
“Song of Belonging by Michelle St. Romain is a well-crafted, gripping, and powerful story of deep grief, discovery, healing, belonging, and connections to the past and future, to our ancestors, and to the natural world. This complex, multigenerational novel featuring magical realism and a bit of romance is a must-read. . . . Highly recommended.”—Readers’ Favorite, 5-star review
I love the colors and detail in The Last Gypsy Queen and Edmonia, and the mystery of Margery and Me appeals to me. A bookshop always draws me in, and the sharp black and white of Vivian’s Decision is good. This month’s best cover, though, has to be Song of Belonging. It’s swirl of sea creatures caught my eye and has me wanting to know more. I didn’t notice until I was posting that all of these are set in the USA!
The Last Gypsy Queen by Linda Paul (1942 Ohio, April 16)
Edmonia by Brianne Baker (Civil War era Midwest, April 28)
Vivian’s Decision by Della Leavitt (20th century Chicago, April 14)
The Bookshop of 99 Doors by Jami Jo Wright (1888 Pennsylvania, April 7)
Margery and Me by Maryka Biaggio (1920s Boston, April 21)
BEST TITLE
The Samurai’s Octopus by Jonelle Patrick (1784, Yoshiwara, April 21)
“This gripping story of courtesans, samurai, and corrupt government officials in eighteenth-century Japan offers a resourceful heroine and a well-crafted plot in a brilliantly researched historical setting . . . a complete immersion in a world of beauty, drama, secrets, and betrayals.” — Kim Hays, author of the Polizei Bern series with Linder and Donatelli
All of these titles interest me for different reasons. I almost chose The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire because that is soooo interesting. Burn the Sea and Girl in a Box hint at unexpected themes. Where the Sea Lavender Grows and Storm of Mercia are not gripping titles on their own, but both seem to be about areas of interest to me. The Samurai’s Octopus, however, has it all—odd combination of ideas, hint at a time period I’m interested in, and samurais. Wow! (and none set in the USA!)
The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire by India Holton (Victorian Oxford, April 21)
Burn the Sea by Mona Tewari (South India, 1500s, April 21)
Girl in a Box by Jean Gordon Kocienda (20th century Japan, April 21)
Where the Sea Lavender Grows by Kitty Johnson (1939 England, April 31)
Storm of Mercia by MJ Porter (Wessex, AD836, April 1)
MOST INTRIGUING
Elizabeth and Marilyn by Julie Owen Moylan (London, 1956, April 7)
“What really happened when Queen Elizabeth II met Marilyn Monroe? This stunning historical novel imagines the summer that bonded the world’s two most famous women, both thirty years old and chafing against the façade of global celebrity.” ~book description
I know I’ll enjoy Patchwork Players and With the Enduring Tides because I love the authors’ books. Mrs. Benedict Arnold and Elizabeth and Marilyn both are about famous women, and I love biographical historical fiction. Aphrodite in Pieces is about the goddess ordering a sculpture of herself, and The Spirit of French Murder is about a mystery and a friendship with Julia Child. All so interesting! In the end, though, I chose Elizabeth and Marilyn. Who can beat Hollywood and English royalty?
Patchwork Players by Jennifer Chiaverini (20th century USA, April 14)
With the Enduring Tides by Jane Kirkpatrick (early 1900s Oregon, April 21)
Mrs. Benedict Arnold by Emma Parry (1770s Philadelphia, April 28)
Aphrodite in Pieces by Lauren J. A. Bear (ancient Greece, April 21)
The Spirit of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (20th century France, April 28)
Need more historical fiction on your TBR? See even more new release titles at Historical Novel Society.
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